There are many oil wells stationed in the bodies of water around the world. Inherently with those oil wells is the possibility of a leak or a disaster in which oil is released from the floor of the body of water into the surrounding body of water. In the initial stages of an oil spill, tens of thousands of barrels of oil per day may flow from the well. Some of the escaped oil may evaporate. Some of it may be contained or dispersed. But there is a great chance that much of the oil may reach the surrounding shorelines. Coastal countermeasures may be used to protect the bays, lagoons, and shorelines of those surrounding areas. Skimmers and booms may be used to protect these shorelines. If the oil remains out on the open sea, the effects may be relatively limited. The negative effects on the environment increase dramatically when the oil spill reaches the shore. The effects on coastal flora and fauna are serious and the reduced phytoplankton productivity and direct damage to seabirds and other species are severely damaged. There are heretofore unaddressed needs related to preventing the spill from reaching the shorelines.